Rayleigh was supposed to distract Kizaru while Takumi grabbed the Devil Fruit.
But somehow, things ended up reversed…
Well, as long as they got what they came for, it didn't matter.
Without any hesitation, Takumi walked toward where Rayleigh was waiting.
Rayleigh tossed the Bounce-Bounce Fruit to him as he approached.
Takumi caught it with ease.
The moment he touched the box containing the fruit, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! You've acquired the Bounce-Bounce Fruit, progress +20%. Current progress: 90%. Reward: the Clear-Clear Fruit.]
Hearing this, Takumi couldn't help but chuckle internally.
Another one, huh...
At this rate, he might just become the biggest Devil Fruit supplier in the world of pirates...
The Clear-Clear Fruit was the same one Absalom had eaten back on Thriller Bark, the one that let him turn invisible.
As the name suggests, the user of the Clear-Clear Fruit could turn themselves, or anything they touched, completely invisible.
While the ability wasn't particularly powerful in combat, it was certainly useful for stealth purposes—especially for a certain type of person...
If someone skilled enough with the Clear-Clear Fruit could completely hide their presence, it would be an excellent tool for assassination.
Suddenly, Takumi remembered the Silent-Silent Fruit he had obtained back in Water 7.
Combining the powers of both fruits would be something else.
"Let's go," Rayleigh said with a smirk, after tossing the fruit to Takumi. "Time to have a drink at Shakky's."
Takumi snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, following Rayleigh.
Rayleigh, still carrying Cathy over his shoulder, ran toward Shakky's bar.
Takumi used his Shunpo to catch up.
"You've gotten a lot faster since the last time," Rayleigh noted as they ran.
Takumi, changing the subject, asked, "Is it really okay to bring a mermaid to Shakky's bar?"
Rayleigh shrugged. "What's the problem? Once she wakes up, I'll take her back to the ocean."
After all, mermaids were different from regular people, especially in a place like Sabaody. If they just let Cathy go on her own, she'd probably be caught again before reaching the sea.
So, Rayleigh's plan made sense.
If you were going to help, you might as well go all the way.
Before long, the two of them—along with the unconscious mermaid—arrived at Shakky's bar.
As luck would have it, Shakky had just finished kicking out a group of pirates who had tried to dine and dash. After confiscating their money, she booted them out of the bar.
Rayleigh and Takumi, familiar with the scene, walked in as if nothing had happened.
Shakky was back behind her bar when she noticed Rayleigh carrying a mermaid. She couldn't help but tease him, "Still the same old pervert, huh?"
Rayleigh laughed heartily and joked back, "Haha! Young women are my favorite!"
"Right," Shakky scoffed, stepping out from behind the bar.
Rayleigh gently set the mermaid down.
"What's her story?" Shakky asked, giving the mermaid a quick check-up.
Rayleigh waved it off. "She was unlucky enough to get caught by traffickers and auctioned off."
"You lose another bet?" Shakky asked, raising an eyebrow at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh shrugged. "I haven't gambled in the past couple of days."
"That's strange then. You're not usually the type to get involved in something like this," Shakky said, her gaze shifting to Takumi. "So, was it this kid's doing?"
"Exactly," Rayleigh grinned. "I wasn't planning to get involved, but this kid knocked everyone out at the auction, including the Celestial Dragons, with his Haki, so I figured I might as well take her with me."
"I see," Shakky said, intrigued. "Using Haki is one thing, but knocking out a Celestial Dragon too? Takumi, you're bolder than I thought. I'm starting to like you even more."
Takumi didn't know how to respond to Shakky's 'admiration.'
"Well, since you're here, have a drink on me," Shakky said as she returned to her bar. She poured Takumi a glass and added, "Just made a nice profit, so this month's expenses are covered."
Takumi: "..."
A month's expenses… Looks like those pirates she kicked out had some serious cash on them...
But, since it was a free drink, Takumi didn't hesitate. He took the glass and drank it down.
Meanwhile, Cathy began to wake up.
As she opened her eyes and realized she was no longer in the auction's water tank, she froze. When she saw Rayleigh and the others, she was terrified. She scooted into a corner, hugging herself and trembling, "Please... please let me go."
"Don't be scared, little girl," Rayleigh said with a reassuring smile. "I'll take you back to the ocean soon."
Cathy looked up at Rayleigh, her face full of disbelief. "Y-You're really going to let me go?"
"Of course," Rayleigh said, pouring her a glass of water and handing it to her. "Here, drink this. It'll help calm your nerves."
Cathy hesitated, carefully taking the glass, but just as she was about to drink, Shakky's voice came from behind the bar, "Five thousand Berries for a glass of water."
"Huh?" Cathy flinched in surprise, nearly dropping the glass. She looked like she was about to cry. "I-I don't have any money... I'm sorry. I won't drink it."
"I'm kidding," Shakky said with a smirk. "Relax, it's free. But if you're worried we've poisoned it, you don't have to drink it."
Cathy, looking even more uneasy, placed the glass down on the small table beside her and timidly asked, "Are you... really going to let me go?"
"Of course," Rayleigh smiled. "If you're that nervous, I can take you to the ocean right now."
"Really? That's amazing!" Cathy said, suddenly excited. "Thank you so much! I'll never forget this. If I ever have the chance, I'll repay you!"
"If you're going to thank anyone, thank him," Rayleigh said, pointing at Takumi. "He's the one who saved you. I just helped by getting you out of the auction house."
Cathy looked at Takumi, hesitated for a moment, and then leaped toward him, her face filled with gratitude. "Thank you! I won't forget what you did for me. If you ever come to Fish-Man Island, I'll make sure you're well taken care of!"
"That's not necessary," Takumi replied, setting his glass down.
He didn't need anyone's gratitude.
After all, even though he had indirectly saved her, it was Rayleigh who had ultimately taken her out of the auction house. It had nothing to do with him.
"I wasn't the one who saved you. If you want to thank someone, thank Rayleigh," Takumi said calmly.
Cathy, confused, looked at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh burst out laughing, "Haha! Still a tough one, huh, kid? Alright, Cathy, let's go. I'll take you to the ocean now."
Cathy, overjoyed, nodded eagerly. After politely saying goodbye to Takumi and Shakky, she followed Rayleigh out of the bar, skipping along with excitement.